Dreamscapes

B 56/01

Colofon Bnieuws Volume 56 Issue 01 October 2022 Contact Room BG.Midden.140 Julianalaan 134 2628 BL Delft bnieuws-bk@tudelft.nl

Editorial Team Jonas Althuis

Oliwia Jackowska Tuyen Le Saartje Nibbering

Zuzanna Sliwinska Emilie Stecher Contributors Heesoo Kwon John Hanna

CONTENTS 04

Architecture Without Architects.02

05

Rau muống, Nostalgia, and War

12

Diamond in the Rough, Forever Young

16

Dreamed cities as Neurodivergent Cities

20

How to Become the Founder of a Feminist Religion

25

The Metaverse: Our New Playground?

28

A Dream About Action

31

What are You Reading Right Now? John Hanna

32

BKINO Poster: Paprika

Cover Tiffany Lin Printed by Druk. Tan Heck © All rights reserved.

Although all content is treated with great care, errors may occur.

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Editorial

DREAMSCAPES I’m on the pursuit of happiness, and I know Everything that shine ain’t always gonna be gold

I’ll be fine once I get it I’ll be good...

In the song Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare) by Kid Cudi, he encrypted the message of those chasing momentary bliss and blindly seeking alternative happiness will ultimately result in nightmares... To the folks who are sleeping right now, you might be in eternal happiness at a beach, but that is only fading images created by your cognitive synapses.

Here in the waking population, the worldly issues we are dealing with on a daily basis are (unfortunately) actual nightmares, solidifying the fact that the art of living is not to daydream, but rather, it is about unraveling nightmares until we find their beautiful, shining core. With the new semester starting, many of us do not have enough time to dream while sleeping anymore, so we found that it is fitting to choose DREAMSCAPES as a theme. Additionally, while we are awake, we are capable of making dreams come true, designing dreams, and creating our own fantastical universe. Are you still thinking about that trip you took to Barcelona while you are preparing for a presentation?

As a given, the content of this issue expands beyond the physical word, we first arrive at a concerning (yet exciting) topic of Architecture without Architects (page 4). Then we venture into the nostalgic commemoration for the Vietnam War through the journey of Tuyen’s favorite vegetable (page 8). On page 12, from destruction we found broken dreams of Rotterdam city, with the changing demographic of dwellers, can the city keep up with housing demands? An essential part of this theme must include an actual analysis of a dream; Oliwia will take us through her dream whilst unhatching the components of a dreamed space (page 17). Staying in the autobiographical lane, we have Heesoo’s rendition of her own story of becoming the founder of a feminist religion called Leymusoom (page 20).

Departing from personal stories, we then arrive at the Metaverse; Saartje gives us a critical explanation of what is a metaverse, and the blurred lines between the virtual and the real world (page 24). Finally, we return to our real world, where we can all face our reality again through Emilie’s article on climate urgency. Each of our actions are shaping a certain type of future, but how do we position ourselves in the Anthropocene and what kind of future do we dream of? (page 30).

Emphasizing on the plurality of the word dreamscapes, we see that while we are aware of our existence and capability, the possibility to dream and create is endless. Not only as a way to collect your conscious thoughts, but also to share the routes you can take while you are scoping around this collection of dreaming landscapes.

#Bnieuwd

TO VISIT / DUTCH DESIGN WEEK 2022 Theme: Get Set The annual week-long design festival in Eindhoven is back with another edition. This year's theme is 'Get Set', decided by the Dutch Design Foundation in discussion with designers of various disciplines.

Regarding this theme, creative head Miriam van der Lubbe says: "The most important message is that people must get activated. Doing nothing is not an option anymore. We have to act now.[...]

The only mistake we can make is just not to get started. So get set!”

For more info: ddw.nl

02

TO READ / STORIES OF YOUR LIFE AND OTHERS

by Ted Chiang A collection of short stories guided by questions like: What if we were introduced to a language of aliens that would change our perception of time forever? What would happen if we built a tower of Babel that actually reached to the sky? A little read for study breaks, train rides or time spent waiting.

TO WATCH / BOILING POINT Directed by Philip Barantini Shot in one continuous take, Boiling Point follows the story of a head-chef and his team on the busiest night of the year in their restaurant in central London. The pressure builds as they are faced with challenge after challenge in this restless and enthralling cinematic journey.

Premiering in Dutch cinemas on Oct 6th, 2022

#Bnieuwd

TO LISTEN / TIME SENSITIVE PODCAST Episode 35: Julia Watson on the Power of Indigenous Technologies to Transform Our Planet (Mar 2020).

Watson discusses her deep research into diverse indigenous communities, the symbiotic relationship between culture and nature, and other topics on this episode of Time Sensitive. The environmentalist studied landscape architecture at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, where she focused on eco-technologies and preservation of sacred spaces.

Available on all major podcast platforms

03

TO DO / 10TH INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURE BIENNALE ROTTERDAM Until 13 Nov 2022 The 10th International Architecture Biennale in Rotterdam is underway, running from 22 September until 13 November. The theme of this year's biennale is "It's About Time", exploring the pressure we are under to counteract the effects of climate change and the relationship of architecture thereto.

More info: architecturebiennalerotterdam2022.nl

Don't forget to check out our WEBSITE bnieuws.nl You'll find all the old issues in the archive, for hours of reading pleasure!

Follow us on INSTAGRAM for updates @bnieuws

04

From the editors

ARCHITECTURE WITHOUT ARCHITECTS.02 Words Zuza Sliwinska

In the monotony of standardized, cookie-cutter architecture, we continue striving for novelty in our designs. Yet, we find our imagination limited to the confinements of engraved in mind, set of typologies. Despite the pragmatic rationale behind the forms and shapes of our buildings, we wonder: is there a space for more originality and one-of-a-kindness? Will the future of design generate more limitations or possibilities, bringing dreamscapes to life? And if so, will our role as designers still be a creative one or will it become passive in favour of new (artificially) intelligent designer?

As a member of Bouwkunde, you have likely become

look like? Populated by same-looking structures,

familiar with the work of Bernard Rudofsky. If you

only now and then interrupted by work of some

haven’t, please grab a copy after rounding off the

more daring designer or global starchitect? The

last page of this issue! In his discourse Architecture

popular yet monotonous residential building type of

Without Architects: A Short Introduction to

'5 over 1' was developed in the United States in the

Non-Pedigreed Architecture, he takes a look at

80s. Like in the case of other typologies, it was

vernacular construction and argues the position of

essentially a product of the housing crisis, a need to

architectural practice as a universal phenomenon

accommodate many people in affordable, easily

born in the hands of non-specialist and non-

buildable and replicable dwellings. A similar

architect. Who, according to him, acts

situation drove the development of twin solutions in

spontaneously, often out of necessity, supported

European countries, resulting in the unification of

solely by experience gathered within his/her

how residential units look today.

community lifetime.1 With all the above perfectly justified by economic As I navigate through pages of Rudofsky’s efforts to

and social factors, I still get carried away with a

bring attention to the unfamiliar or otherwise what

thought - what if our cities were a collection of

we could describe as informal architecture, I can’t

one-of-a-kind buildings instead? With each

help but notice that the array of examples in the

structure looking utterly different from its

book is everything but uniform in form and shape.

neighbour? An urban scape from a dream, escape

The diversity comes in typology, tools and materials

from the monotony? Would it add more colour to

used, ornamentation (or complete disregard for it),

the urban environment or create confusion in

and endless other parameters of unique identity

navigating the city without clear distinctions

each of these structures carries.

between various functions? And more interestingly, would we be capable of creating such variety in the

Isn't this historical narrative pictured by Rudofsky

age of mass reproduction and high demand for

quite the opposite of what today's urban landscapes

construction?

<

From top: Granaries in Spanish province Galicia; Photographs of the village at the foot of the Bandiagara cliff, Dagan tribe, Sudan; Minature silos structures on Ivory Coast. (featured in 'Architecture without architects' by Bernard Rudofsky)

05

Today, Rudofsky’s idea of ‘architecture without

endangered future role of a designer. Technology

architects’ or, more broadly, design without

has already threatened professions such as graphic

designers takes on a new meaning and leaves us

designers and digital artists, which could become

with crucial questions on originality and authorship.

reduced to AI-generated proposals in the future. As

This relatively recent discovery is AI [Artificial

expected, a critical thought formed in the process.

Intelligence] generated imagery which has quickly become a new obsession or, in some circles, a

Everything we create is empowered or inspired by

source of despite and genuine worry about the

the collection of our experiences and knowledge, as

future of all kinds of creative professions.

Henri Bergson would rightfully notice. At the same time, our thinking is limited to confinement of this

06

In 2015, when most of us mortals were bouncing to

past, broad but limited references, which

the rhythm of Uptown Funk, AI scientists broke

consciously or subconsciously influence our views

through a kick-starting development – automated

and ability to create the novel. Hence, it can be

image captioning. From that moment on, the

argued that ‘new and original doesn’t exist per se

computer would be able to describe the scenes from

but that every invention is an interpretation of an

any image in a human-like language. This invention

old through the lens of today. Speaking in

soon triggered the discussion on the mirrored

architectural language, you might observe that many

operation where the images could be generated

of our projects look alike. It is indeed challenging to

from the captions – later called prompts. However,

develop an entirely new typology as we are

the ambition didn’t stop at retrieving the images

somewhat limited to the bounds of particular

from an already existing dataset, similar to what you

architectural styles and morphologies we are well

might be familiar with from the Google Image

familiar with. In contrast, despite being initially

Search engine. Instead, the AI would generate a new

trained on the existing images, the AI sets free from

scene that has not yet existed - a completely new

constraints of, e.g., educational templates and allows

fantasy. This process started with asking the AI for

itself to generate completely new combinations,

impossible scenes such as ‘elephants flying over the

motifs and styles. Still, in the diapers, DALL-E or

New York skyline or ‘tiny whale having dinner with

Midjourney remain a 2D tool. However, since speedy

Donald Trump’ – you get the idea. Soon this

development since the 1950s (when the first

technology evolved into DALL-E and Mid Journey

speculations on artificial brain design), the capability

– two pioneering platforms now used as a medium

of AI could soon expand into 3D. Combined with 3D

for creating art pieces and new design concepts. AI

printing, gaining the popularity in the industry,

image-generating revelation was welcomed with

could AI generate unexpected, new designs and at

split interest, owe and anxiety over a possibly

the same time perform its construction? Maybe

07

Ai generated design for residential tower. Mohamad Rasoul Moosapour through Midjourney. (Designboom)

today, this question sounds like a dream (or a

repro-duction carries a danger of detaching the

nightmare), but 50 years ago, AI wasn’t even a term,

pieces of architecture from our culture and

yet today it continues to surprise us with its

tradition, depriving the pieces of what Walter

capabilities!

Benjamin calls an ‘aura’ – the unique presence of an object in time and space of its creation, and, one

Now the actual question is, how do we feel about it?

might want to add, an image of the creator behind it.

Throughout history, machines managed to ease the

What is indeed the future of the design, and what

hardships of human labour, allowing for the

role you and I will play in it?

expansion of human intellectual endeavours, which in return triggered the development of yet new technology (basically a Perpetuum mobile). But is the design and creative field something we would like to

1. Rudofsky, Bernard. 1964. Architecture Without

give up and trust in the hands of the machine? And

Architects: A Short Introduction to Non-Pedigreed

to what degree, if at all? The act of artificial pro- and

Architecture. New York: Doubleday.

<

Cookie-cutter design. Office buildings in Washington DC, Glasgow, and Ho Chi Minh City respectively from left.

From the editors

RAU MUỐNG, NOSTALGIA, AND WAR Words Tuyen Le Images Mary Le & Tuyen Le

I recently traveled to Kassel in Germany for documenta fifteen, an art festival that happens every five years and occupies Kassel for 100 days. Nhà sàn collective and bà bầu air, Hanoi-based art collectives, hosted my stay at their queer guesthouse called ưh ưh 22 for a duration of five days. Behind the guesthouse was a luscious garden named vườn di cư (migrating garden) by the artist Tuấn Mami. A garden full of vegetables that the local Vietnamese community has donated to the artist to build a green haven full of produce. Frankly, in the middle of Kassel, having a garden flourishing with Vietnamese vegetables is a true depiction of a migrant dream. The familiar sight of the vegetables I grew up eating has lend me a hand to my childhood memories, to meal times with my family, and it has rekindled of my nostalgia for quê hương (homeland).

Migration happens when our home is not concurring with our path anymore, and while 08

some have the choice, and some do not. In our home away from home, we identify ourselves with the food that we cook, consume, and enjoy. As an international student, migrating from Vietnam to Iowa (the United States), and now to Delft, I share the awareness that local supermarkets do not offer the kind of vegetable that keeps our string tied to our roots. Among the stories I have heard growing up, and Vietnamese people I have interacted with while living in different places, the string that leads these lives back to their homeland, is through their backyard garden and food. Therefore, the migrating garden shows how displaced Vietnamese communities can stay connected to their roots, directly through the roots of their vegetables. And with that, by soothing our taste bud, the longing for comfort can be cured.

There are deep remnants of the Vietnam War in how the rest of the world views Vietnamese cuisine. Due to this war, families had to make an important decision, whether to stay or flee, bringing with them their pain from the forced migration, and their hopes for a better life in a foreign land. They planted the seeds they have smuggled with them inside their limited luggage, and through these offerings, nostalgia reliably offers one thing, ESCAPE, away from the uncertainty of the future, and towards the permanence of the past. Some dynamic ways of how the displaced Viet people express their nostalgia is when they open restaurants that are proudly adorned with symbols and decorations that depict Vietnam through the owner's lens. Additionally, they open grocery stores that meticulously source homeland’s products to support their diasporic community.

Mary Le is a close friend of mine and she introduced me to her father, No Le, who is standing proudly in front of his own migranting > garden in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. (Mary Le, 2020)

For instance, the bowl of phở that you eat at a restaurant in Rotterdam has been fortified based on the Southern Vietnamese style. For historical context, September 2nd of 1975 became Vietnam's Independence Day, it marked the fall of the Southern Democratic regime based in Saigon (the part of Vietnam that is supported by the United States), and the birth of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, also known as the unification of the North and South of Vietnam. With most families who fled were from the South of Vietnam, they brought the taste of Southern phở with them. Hence, the rest of the world today is more familiar with the taste of Southern phở, with a lot more spice, darker broth color, and extra side vegetables. Within the culture that Viet people portray in how they make food, there is always a hint of nostalgia. Especially, the sincere hope that each plate they share with their peers can keep the dream alive, the dream of one day they can recreate these things at their hometown/childhood kitchen. In order to legitimize their attempt at the flavor of Vietnamese food, we also need to understand the limited resource one would have in order to embody the flavor, and the kitchen that is used to process these ingredients also matter. Even if those memories were painful, even if the past was not great, the comforting feeling of the past echoes through our journey in the present, and this familiarity can keep us grounded as we are approaching the unknown future.

Homesickness always leads me to crave for rau muống xào (pan-fry water spinach). It brought me great joy when my mother prepared this simple dish for our family meals, but the vegetable is nowhere to be found in stores or Vietnamese restaurants here.

Before 1945, rau muống was used to feed farm animals (mostly pigs and cows), and after 1975, it was a definite struggle for everyone who stayed behind or could not leave, so they started to use these vegetables in cooking by pan frying it with garlic, or simply steaming it. When its seed was smuggled across the ocean, there were even politics behind it, as told by Viet folks who crossed borders to the US. The way you process the vegetable at your home kitchen can indicate your origin (Northern or Southern), and this could bring either comradery or scrutiny onto your family amongst the Vietnamese migrant community. In the modern time, it has become a staple dish in Vietnamese meals and my favorite vegetable to feed my nostalgia with, albeit the difficult past that water spinach has carried through its journey.

09

While I was living here in my bachelor years, Mr. Le was my rau muống supplier free of charge, as all he wanted was to share the fruits of his labor to friends and families alike. Mr. Le was a soldier during the Vietnam War, who survived a bomb explosion, and was a war prisoner for two years. He managed through many disparities during his escape journey through Cambodia, Malaysia, and finally, settling down in Iowa, United States. With most seeds considered to be invasive species according to the States’ agricultural standard, he keeps his vegetables in pots to prevent native soil erosion or overgrow.

He takes on the migrant garden as a way to feed his nostalgic tendency for quê hương, as well as establishing his roots again in a foreign land.

As I am writing these words, I recognize my own privilege of never experiencing the pain of being displaced by war or conflict, but I am doing so by choice, and with the hope that these choices would lead me to my dream. But what is the value of this dream when we voluntarily unplug ourselves from

10 Around April, Mr. Le would start propagating his garden near the kitchen, where the light comes in the most during the afternoon.

(Mary Le, 2020)

our heritage and culture, in order to make sense with our current place of residence, and make sense of our future self? Romanticizing the past through the agency of nostalgia can bring comfort, regardless if this certain comfort can mean holding onto painful memoribilia, and feeding a certain delusion that takes us away from the sensible truth.

The Vietnam War separated a nation and scattered its people all over the world. And while these people are planting roots in a new place (sometimes not of their choosing), they are also commemorating their past memories, one garden at a time.

Abdelfatah, Rund and Ramtin Arablouei. "The Nostalgia Bone." Throughline. NPR, 2021.

Espiritu Gandhi, Evyn Lê. “The Refugee Settler Condition: Vietnamese Diasporas in Guahan and Palestine.” The

Funambulist no. 43, 2022. documenta. "lumbung". documenta-fifteen.de. 2022 This garden consists of the vegetables that caught my sight, smell, and taste from the migrating garden at documenta, they were rau muống, rau kinh giới, rau tần ô, bầu, and ớt sừng trâu > (water spinach, Vietnamese balm, crown daisy, Vietnamese gourd, and horn pepper). A reunion scene is happening as the gourds finding their way back to their comfort space. (Tuyen Le, 2022)

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From the editors

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH, FOREVER YOUNG Words and Images Jonas Althuis

Rotterdam. The city you identify with, the city you belong in. The city that suits you perfectly, where you feel right at home. The city whose flaws you look past, or perhaps cherish because, well, ‘they give the city their character’. The city you moved to because you felt you had outgrown Delft, and you were looking for a new world to explore. If you recognise yourself in any of these statements, I’m sorry to tell you this but you’re unknowingly playing a role in a scheme that might be some 40 years in the making, and it has serious consequences.

12

Rotterdam is a city you’ve surely heard of. It’s big. It’s

harbours and ship-building docks that were at the

ugly. It’s close to Delft. Many design projects, both in

time still close to the city centre. This led to the

Bachelor and Master education at our faculty, take

formation of a large working-class, that lived in

place there, so you may have gotten to know it a

crowded neighbourhoods in the inner city. As

little through these projects. It’s a city that’s in a

globalisation and technology changed maritime

constant state of flux, which is perhaps what draws

industries throughout the later 20th century, many

many people to it. It can be overwhelming, but its

labour-intensive manufacturing and shipping jobs

energy can be enchanting; it makes residents and

disappeared, leading labourers to leave the city and

visitors alike feel like they’re part of something

causing disruption in neighbourhoods and

bigger. The constant change in and rapid

communities. With working-class housing,

development of the city, where new projects seem

sometimes built by companies for employees, and

to pop up every other week, undeniably also has its

rapidly built housing from the reconstruction period

downsides. In the rush to become an attractive and

following the destruction of the Second World War,

competitive ‘city of the world’, it seems policy-

Rotterdam’s housing stock was dominated by cheap,

makers have sometimes put ambition before the

low-quality housing, much of which was socially

most important needs of the city’s loyal long-term

rent-controlled. An influx of migrants from abroad

residents, implicating a young generation of new

moving into the city’s neighbourhoods led the

residents in the process. This, is the story of how the

population of the city to become extremely diverse,

ambitions and needs of different entities can come

leading to strong but separate communities of

to clash in the modern metropolitan context.

residents. This diversity is still strongly present today.

Rotterdam’s history as port city has strongly shaped what it is today. During the 19th and 20th centuries,

Facing a massive task to transform former industrial

shipping and maritime industries brought

areas in the city, increase the quality of its housing

prosperity, attracting huge numbers of migrants

stock, and attract new residents to the city,

from surrounding regions to come work in the

Rotterdam adopted novel growth-oriented

strategies of governance and urban development. In

housing stock and therefore inadequate

other words, the municipality, supported by the

opportunities for home-ownership, Rotterdam was

state, started going crazy with urban development

unable to retain the middle-class residents that

and restructuring, creating large scale masterplans

completed studies or worked in the city. It’s a simple

for different parts of the city. Starting in the 1980s,

but tragic reality that rented-housing, be it socially

the impacts of these governing strategies can still be

or privately rented, does not allow occupiers to

felt today, producing the busy climate of

accumulate wealth through the value of their home.

development and construction that is still ongoing.

For middle-class residents that could afford to buy

An important example of such a development is the

homes elsewhere, staying in the rent-dominated

Erasmus bridge and the Kop van Zuid area. The

city was therefore undesirable.

Erasmus bridge, completed in 1996, was built to be an icon and eye-catcher, connecting the north and

The political climate at the time may have had to do

south parts of the city physically, economically, and

with this ambition too; the late politician Pim

socially, in a monumental way.

Fortuyn, who was flagrantly anti-Islam and xenophobic, was hugely popular in the municipal

With a shortage of middle-class housing at a time

elections of March 2002, his party Leef baar

when the city desperately wanted to attract

Rotterdam winning 34.7% of the vote to instantly

middle-class residents, the abundance of social-

become the biggest party in the municipal council.

rented housing in the city came to be seen as a

Ironically, he was kicked out of this party not soon

threat to development. Neighbourhoods with high

after for suggesting that the first article of the Dutch

concentrations of socially-rented housing typically

constitution, which forbids discrimination against

suffered from other problems as well; criminality,

people for any reason, should be abolished. Months

nuisance, vandalism, and unemployment. The city

later he was shot and killed. In a broader sense,

wanted to reduce these problems, not least because they made neighbourhoods undesirable for the new

In 2007, the municipality published their vision for

residents they were trying to attract. Why did

the city for 2030, Stadsvisie Rotterdam 2030. In this

Rotterdam want to attract and retain middle-class

thorough 160+ page publication outlining the city's

residents? Many reasons; to bring the wealth, jobs,

goals for the future and how to reach them, the term

culture, and knowledge needed to develop and grow

gentrification is mentioned no less than 31 times,

beyond its labour-intensive industrial past; to be an

often in combination with methods on how to

economically desirable place for companies to

stimulate it in the different neighbourhoods, as well

establish themselves; to generate the tax income

as the supposed benefits that it can bring. In short,

necessary to physically improve the city; to compete

gentrification is embraced as a means of urban

with the other major cities of the Randstad and of

development, both in new-build projects, as well as

Europe. Rotterdam’s ambitions to develop clashed

integrally in existing neighbourhoods. It’s

with existing working-class populations in the city

concerning that the negative consequences of this

centre, and it’s course of action would be to reduce

focus on gentrification go ignored, if not at the very

these populations in the city centre.

least under-researched and unmentioned, though perhaps this is by design.

Because of this, municipal strategies explicitly started to focus on gentrification, not as a

Making room for new housing typologies of higher

consequence of urban development, but as a means

quality in the city has meant that portions of the

of achieving it. The goal in doing so was to balance

existing housing stock, as well as former industrial

the class-composition of the city and ‘civilise’

sites and harbour areas have been demolished to

problematised neighbourhoods, increasing their

make room. This has been going on throughout the

economic value. With a limited owner-occupied

past decades, and nowadays the development of

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Remnants of the Tweebosbuurt and the machines that brought it to the ground, in stark contrast to the polished skyline of the Kop van Zuid in the distance. (Jonas Althuis, taken on Sept. 10, 2022).

14

new projects seems to be booming more strongly

residents of higher income levels bring to such

than it ever was, with fierce redevelopment projects

neighbourhoods. What supposedly happens, is that

taking place across the city. Just one year ago,

‘liveability’, a term associated with reduced urban

demolition started on a significant portion of the

problems like crime, nuisance, vandalism, increases.

Afrikaanderwijk neighbourhood called the

Not only is this term problematic because of the

Tweebosbuurt, with demolition works still

limited and one-sided view it offers, the reason that

continuing today. Despite protests from residents

‘liveability’ increases is that residents associated

and other initiatives, the demolition was set forth by

with this problematisation are simply pushed out of

the housing corporation that owned most of the

the neighbourhood. The conditions of remaining

properties, in discussion with the municipality.

disadvantaged groups with aren’t necessarily improved by the arrival of middle and upper-middle

A total of 524 socially rented dwellings have been

class groups however.

demolished, the primary reasons given for their destruction being the bad physical state of the

These processes of gentrification in the city lead to

dwellings. Only 137 new socially-rented dwellings

the suburbanisation of poverty, whereby households

will be built in their place though, the remaining

with lesser means are continuously pushed to the

nearly 250 new dwellings being privately-rented and

urban peripheries and surrounding boroughs, as

owner-occupied housing. While social housing

they can no longer find affordable housing in the

corporations are required by law to offer residents

central areas. This happens through both direct and

alternative housing in such a situation, this is not

indirect displacement, the former being demolition

guaranteed to be near their original homes, tearing

of homes as mentioned, the latter via price-

apart long-standing communities of residents. With

exclusion, whereby prices of centrally located

this comes the question of the impacts that new

homes are simply inaccessible to low income

households. For reference, the maximum you can

this is not a bad thing, but Florida goes on to show

earn to qualify for social housing as a one-person

that the creative epicentres where these

household in 2022 is €40,765, which is €2,765 more

professionals congregate are also some of the cities

than the expected average national income of

with the highest levels of inequality in the American

€38,000 this year. That is to say, the amount of

context (cities such as Austin, San Francisco and

people that rely on social housing to be able to live

Washington D.C.). Two things are ironic about this;

where they want to is not insignificant, and we can

creativity is supposedly ‘the great leveller’; it can’t be

ask ourselves whether Rotterdam is not simply

owned or handed down, yet the presence of the

pushing people out of the city centre. Beyond that,

creative industry manages to create inequality.

socially-rented housing has intentionally been given

Beyond that, one of the hallmarks that draws the

a negative connotation of poverty, while historically

creative class to these epicentres is tolerance.

it was available for everybody and a large section of

Florida writes that members of the creative class

the population lived in socially-rented homes. In

prefer places with high levels of tolerance; tolerance

other words, the very language used in the discourse

in the sense of openness, inclusiveness and diversity.

about social housing and city development has been

Yet precisely what attracts these people to such

used to problematise low-income residents and

cities can simultaneously damage diversity by

create a much-believed idea of a separate ‘us’ and

pushing out people of lesser means.

‘them’.

If you ask me, the same thing is happening in The 20th and 21st century saw the emergence of

Rotterdam. One of the explicit aims in the Stadsvisie

many new forms of work in society, leading to the

Rotterdam 2030 is to attract creative people to the

rise of a new ‘creative class’. Writer and research

city. Creatives have historically been known to kindle

Richard Florida describes this group of people as

gentrification in problematised or dilapidated

follows:

neighbourhoods, and for nearly two decades now, Rotterdam has been set on attracting more of these

15

“The distinguishing characteristic of the creative

people to the city; “The creative sector is important

class is that its members engage in work whose

as catalyst for gentrification (upgrading) of existing

function is to create meaningful new forms. […]

neighbourhoods” (translated from Dutch, page 51).

These people engage in creative problem-solving,

The architecture sector is specifically mentioned as

drawings on complex bodies of knowledge in seeking

a strong existing sector that can be capitalised on

innovative solutions. Doing so typically requires a

and should be expanded. This is you. This is me. The

high degree of formal education, and thus a high

exact people they’re trying to attract. The perfect

level of human capital. […] What they are required to

people to gentrify the city. It’s not a coincidence that

do regularly is think on their own. They apply or

we feel at home in Rotterdam, it’s the result of years

combine standard approaches in unique ways to fit

of careful crafting, on an image, atmosphere, and

the situation, exercise a great deal of judgement, and

setting that is desirable to us.

at times must independently try new ideas and innovations on their own.”

My title for this article “Diamond in the Rough, Forever

Does that sound at all familiar? Florida writes that

Young” comes from the 2007 Stadsvisie document

this class includes a wide range of professionals,

mentioned in the text. The document starts out with

from engineers, to professors, to actors, to writers

buzzwords that highlight the city’s ambitions, “diamond

and designers. Not surprisingly, architects are right

in the rough” (ruwe diamant) and "forever young"

at home among these professionals. The way Florida

(eeuwige jeugd), are just two of these. All of the sources

describes ‘the creative class’ could be a perfect

for this article will be published with the digital version of

description of the curriculum at our faculty. In itself

this edition on our website Bnieuws.nl.

>

16

From the editors

DREAMED CITIES AS NEURODIVERGENT CITIES Words & Images Oliwia Jackowska

What does the notion of DREAMED SPACES strike you as? Maybe you think liveability, large green spaces and walkable cities... or, maybe like me, you see them as personal interpretations of places around us which show themselves as visions while we sleep. These live between the deepest subconscious layers of our minds. What do they mean? Why should we watch them a bit closer?

At some point in life, I am sure, most people try to

This fascinating theme keeps circling back to myself

seek the meaning of their dreams. It could be when

as well, despite me being no expert in psychology.

going through puberty, as an attempt to understand

The idea of one’s psyche standing, for example, in

own desires, or maybe a bit later on, fascination with

contrast to what is generally considered as the

dreams becomes a way to cope with anxiety

instinctive default, shows that everyone’s relation to

triggered by a burnout or heartbreak. In attempts to

the world around them, as they see and experience

interpret these often entangled and seemingly

it in the waking reality, is extremely personal and it

nonsensical imaginative worlds, we search for

manifests in its true form through their dreams.

symbolisms. And even though we lose interest

These dreams always occur in some kind of time,

eventually, as it might seem to be just an empty

space and emotional state, and, however much

fascination leading nowhere, the scholars have been

abstracted the image is, our minds draw inspiration

trying to understand dreams for centuries and use

from the reality. In relation to that, an interesting

them in psychological diagnosis and therapy. The

concept was described by scholar Athanasios Totlis

key figure in dream studies was Carl Jung, who,

for North American Journal of Medical Sciences.

nowadays, however much criticised for his

Developed as Spatio-Temporal and Emotional (ST+E)

approach, saw dreams as psyche’s attempt to

dream theory. It analyses and defines the relation in

communicate crucial things to the individual. He

all the three listed aspects between dream

explored the idea of the collective unconscious, being

representations and the waking reality: Space, Time

a set of “default” mental concepts that are at the

and Emotion. On a side note: sounds familiar to

base of society and include instincts and archetypes

tools used for site analysis in design projects, right?

that are inherent to being a human. With these two

Interestingly, in architectural or urban spatio-

notions considered, by and large, Jung was

temporal analysis there is no inclusion of the aspect

interested in using his patients' dreams to map out

of emotion, while it proves over and over to be one

the relationship of their psyche to this wider context

of the most important elements of building an

of the collective unconscious, hence understanding

individual’s relationship to a place. Now, we can say

what is an individual's position to or within that

that in dreams, generally, it happens that (as seen in

universe of societal ideas.

the graph with three theoretical elements):Let's

< Impression of a dream.

17

focus on the aspect of space, which without a doubt

unconscious control over the spaces around me,

is the most complex component. By paying closer

which often have very specific features, placed in

attention to our psyche, which is by far better

cities that make sense.

informed than our conscious way of thinking, we

18

can learn about our real desires, needs and, most

Though, even when I am dreaming about my

importantly, the relationship to the spaces around

hometown, the places in it seem familiar but they

us in the waking reality. Now, let me take you

are in completely different configurations - their

through my own personal experience with dreams

relationships to each other are redefined and

as there is no other way to showcase this theory

shuffled to match my own psyche. My brain

rather than being very specific... So here on consider

re-designs the city so that when I am in control, it is

yourself welcome to see a sector of my own psyche.

custom-made just for me and... it works. Suddenly I don't get lost, I know where to go, even though in

In everyday life, I get lost easily and lose track of the

dreams the purpose of the trip might not be so clear.

space around me, unless it is a route deeply

You can say that dreamed cities are neurodivergent

engraved in my day to day routine (even this

cities, where the importance and meaning of places

requires high alert attention). You will always find

(or rather the associated Emotions) are the

me walking through places with my eyes pinned to

uttermost quality, while the form or function does

the maps on my phone screen, and following closely

not matter almost at all.

the dot with the little direction arrow, as more often than not I am not able to position myself. This shop

In one such dream, I was moving through my

here is on the other side, but which side of that shop

hometown, but the most important street of the old

am I supposed to turn by and… what is the name of

town was wider and longer than normally and was

the street? Not sure how to say it else, but really, it is

leading through shops and gathered street vendors,

a problem, and has always been, however much I

who with their clothing seemed to be taken out of

tried to concentrate and just do better. Even, or

the Positivism era. I moved towards a hill, which in

rather should I say - especially, my hometown, in

reality is a smooth and rather small incline, but here

which I grew up in and visit often, cannot be

the hill was beautiful, and I could see the landscape

navigated without that wonder of digital live

and the sunset behind a house positioned at the

mapping. But what might surprise you, this off-track

highest point. The house was my destination in this

condition disappears, and I am never disoriented

dream, which in the waking reality is an obscure

about my whereabouts when they are placed within

building hidden away, but one that has been, since

my dreams. Truly, as if "Inception" was real, I am, in

forever, a meeting spot for me and my best friends.

concrete detail, understanding and have

Impressions of a dream. >

In a different dream, I was walking through a city, the city that is actually located on Mars, but with its long streets of repetitive houses it was reminiscent of my university town of Bath in England.

Though, the red ground of the other-worldly planet made it seem as if a town straight from a western movie, just as did the murky and dark interiors of the pubs occupied by cowboys and countless jars filled with unidentified contents. Easy to say: I did not enjoy my time in England. But what is even more important about these short stories is that when the image of the city is filtered only through our own imagination in a way completely devoid of conscious bias, it changes the way we read the space. The places of importance are connected in a peculiar way to each other in dreams, and hence they are not geographic anymore, but spiritual or mental interpretations. This way we can ask, what are the limitations of this? If we pay attention to the our dreams and those of others, can we understand not only our own relationship to Jung's collective

unconscious, but also the way we rationally understand cities and spaces? Have we been doing it wrong this whole time? Does everyone have their own interpretation of the space, or do they overlap somewhere to create familiar archetypes? There are limitations, of course, as much as you can analyse your own dreams overlapping different psyches might prove way too complex with no limits to human subconscious imagination.

Despite this complexity, I believe there is value in linking the dream theory into our analysis of cities and diving deeper into an idea of why some (or maybe most?) people do not seem to fit in. Getting lost just might be a symptom of a bigger problem.

A German filmmaker, Hito Steyerl, in her article "In Free Fall: A Thought Experiment on Vertical Perspective", refers to the present moment as distinguished by a prevailing condition of

groundlessness. She argues that due to that lack of stable ground, with nothing under our feet, we are in a constant state of free-falling, without noticing. This comes with a sense of disorientation, since the horizon is no longer a constant linear point of reference. Paradoxically, by falling asleep we enter the state of lightness, and just like with falling, we lose any sense of where our body begins and the world ends. I believe that falling

asleep is the true meaning of Steyerl's falling in place.

Hence, the value that I have found in my own journey is a gentler view of my spatial disorientation, as I realised that it is not me getting lost in the waking reality's surroundings, but the surroundings losing me.

This article is a thought experiment and it attempts to spark some processes and discussions. Please share your own thoughts or dreams with us!

19

HOW TO BECOME THE FOUNDER OF A FEMINIST RELIGION

Words and Images Heesoo Kwon

You look young. You stand next to the flowers. I think you are more beautiful than the flowers. You are wearing a white dress with a hair scarf. You are smiling toward me. You look perfect in this picture.

But I know you. Your life got tough after a year. You married a man who already had a wife and children in North Korea. You were seventeen. Even though he couldn’t meet his family again till he died, you were alone and lonely.

SACRED

SCA

He n e v e r u n d e r s t o o d y o u.

RE

And finally left you. You raised your four children by

D

yourself. You worked hard in the city and sent the money to your children. Three girls and a boy. You spent your twenties and thirties supporting them. When they went to school, you opened a small snack bar next to the oldest and largest shopping area in the city. You had to earn money for their education.

20

ICE F I R SAC

You loved your son the most. You thought your ex-husband might love you and stay at home if you have a son. You had three girls until you had your first boy. He was clever and good. But even though you had a son, your ex-husband didn’t love you. Your ex-husband

left you but you still had your boy besides you. You relied on your boy. He was your son, your husband and your father.

When your boy told you he wants to marry, you were pleased to imagine your life to be free from the pressure to support your children. You said you don't want to do housework any more. Your daughterin-law should do that. You wanted to take a rest for the first time in your life. When your granddaughters were born, your son suddenly decided to prepare for the national bar exam. He studied well during college and has worked at an insurance company with a good reputation. However, your daughter-in-law’s family hurt his pride. They were all educated and richer than your family. When your first granddaughter was four years old, he left home.

And there were four women left.

I

My

hate religion. I am afraid

grandmother

of it. Religion is scary and hilarious.

w a s s u c h a self-giving

My grandmother was a sincere Catholic. My

person in the church community. She did all

great grandmother was even more sincere than

the dirty work for the community. When a drunk

her. My great grandmother went to

person threw up at the entrance of the church, she

church by crossing a mountain back

spontaneously volunteered to clean the vomit. She was Saint

and forth for five hours every

Mary with a good reputation. However, I barely communicated

morning with her children.

with her. She had a cold heart. She was not good at interacting with

My grandmother

her own family. She was active only when she talked about church and

used to talk about how

her sacred Jesus. Whenever we asked her for dining out, she rejected.

much it was hard to leave

Whenever we bought some gifts for her, she told us

home before 5am to go to church

“Why did you spend money on this kinds of thing?”

everyday.

Then my father said “Mother. Please just

Our family went to church every weekend.

say thank you. It is simple”. Then she

I remember when I took classes in the church to

said “Okay. Thank you.” Whenever

receive my first communion. I was 10 years old. I got

we spent time and effort to

a notebook from the church. I had to trace and write

please her, she always scolded us for

the bible everyday. It was one of the required

spending money. I thought why we were doing

assignments. I would write the bible for 3 to 4 hours a day but couldn’t finish

“Your grandmother loves you. But she is just not very good at

my assignment. My mom helped me.She

this even though she dislikes us. But my father said

expressing her emotions.” I didn't understand why she loved church people more than us. Her stance toward Catholic doctrine was very

wrote the bible

obdurate. Whenever I question something in the bible, she told me

instead of me whenever it was painful to grab the pencil.

There were many sacred gifts in my home including statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, old bibles or chapelets. My grandmother called me and my sister to her room and read bible in every morning before we had breakfast. I remember that huge, thick and smelly old book. I remember that book written in tiny tiny lettering. I remember

“Don't question it. It is the sacred thing. Just believe it

first. Then, you will understand it.” She also told me “You should be obedient to your father.

He is the person who let you to be in this world. Don't question about his words.

Just follow him.” She passed away when I was in college. Since then, no one in my family goes to church.

No one.

Ever.

that morning.

My god died when she died And now, I created my own god.

21

CONFERENCE Dictee : “Hello Everyone. I am Dictee. Tonight, I am so

honored and excited to introduce an emerging new religion, [Leymusoom]. As an anthropologist, I’ve studied the relationship between feminism and religion for almost 30 years. Last year, I found an interesting movement in California and I’ve observed this community for a year. And fortunately, I have one of the believers of [Leymusoom] here. Today we will have a talk about Leymusoom and the believers.

The first session will be about Leymusoom’s mythology about how the world had been created. And in the second session, we will talk about Leymusoom’s believers’ independent shrine culture. For the last session,

we will share Leymusoom’s believers’ collective bible writing ceremony.

Originally it was planned to be presented by Bodurinao. However, it is during Tao mumu, which is a special annual training week, Bodurinao will not talk today. So instead of Bodurinao, I will do the presentation. Bodurinao will give us some additional explanation if it is needed and Bodurinao’s spiritual pet will help.

22

We have an interpreter in another room. Let’s start. Before we go on, we will talk about what Leymusoom is.

Leymusoom is a cultural aesthetic and a philosophy of science and history that explores the developing intersection of feminism and religion. It combines elements of science fiction.. historical fiction, fantasy, religion, feminism and magic realism with non-Western cosmologies in order to critique the present-day dilemmas of women and to interrogate and re-examine misogynist religious dogma. It began in 2017 by Bodurinao, to criticize misogynistic religion and make a feminist utopian world.

Leymusoom addresses themes of patriarchal misogyny through a science fiction lens encompassing a range of academic contributors with an interest in envisioning a Feminist Utopian world.”

Visit leymusoom.com to see the rest of the Leymusoom Universe and learn about the religion.

Heesoo Kwon is a multidisciplinary artist from South Korea currently based in the Bay Area, California. In 2017, Kwon initiated an autobiographical feminist religion Leymusoom as an ever-evolving framework to explore her family histories and communal feminist liberation. To this day, over 100 people have converted to Leymusoon. In 2022, Kwon was appointed as Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco's Artist-Curator, where she expands her communitybased projects by curatorial practice, overseeing the exhibitions, public art interventions, and multi-year commission projects.

Ley

In

mu soom, there are some rules to create new terms for gender.

Bobo and Eebobo, each mean female and male.

And Bbobbo and Eebbobbo each mean vagina and penis. Boeboe is the ideal identity in Leymusoom...

Boeboe means the people who consider themselves beyond gender boundaries. Everyone desires to be Boeboe. Bodurinao became Boeboe about a year ago.

Mona Space TAG-3 is presented as an example of cyberspace architecture in this article. Monaverse is a Metaverse world-building platform that focuses on inventive and one-of-a-kind 3D places.

TAG-3 is a virtual art gallery for displaying NFTs. It includes two conflicting design styles with a general theme of the clashing of opposites. The highly futuristic shape on the outside segment demonstrates modern design without constraints. ''I also wanted this to feel a bit like being in the clouds, where you can't see anything around you except for white forms.''

About the designer: Bryan Ye is a student at the Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism (Canada). As a designer in the Metaverse, I was interested in his perspective on virtual reality. Read his response to the article below. ''I agree that seeing architecture digitally isn't the same as experiencing it in person, and I like to remind people that while virtual reality is a future of architecture, it's not THE future of architecture; rather, it's an extension of what architecture may become. The metaverse is essentially a tool for exploring architecture, and that will most likely be its limit. The constraints that architects face while creating in the actual world can never be replaced, and working with those tight physics and building code constraints is what makes the architecture profession so unique.

There's one more thing. The metaverse notion may be linked to the popularity of zoom during the COVID era, when 24

zoom was the key tool for workplaces and schools during a period when we weren't permitted to meet face to face with our teachers and coworkers. While Zoom provided a good set of features that allowed for even better methods of presenting work via screen share rather than spending money and time printing and building physical models for crits, nothing beats the in-person interactions with people at school and the studio culture that virtual learning will never be able to replace.'' Find more of Bryan Ye's work on Instagram: @_telstar.

From the editors

THE METAVERSE: OUR NEW PLAYGROUND? Words Saartje Nibbering Images Brian Ye The connection to the real world has become distinct with the emergence of artificial intelligence.

In addition to the progressive advances that can be made with technology, the possibility for fantasy, gates, and transitions to other realities is highlighted by A.I.. With a single click, it is now possible to enter a world where regulations and boundaries are relative, therefore it is logical that individuals flee from the limited physical world to discover their identity and ideas in a questionable existing reality. What difficulties and opportunities occur when the relationship between the real world (RW) and virtual world(s) (VW) is strengthened by incorporating real-life processes into digital communication? And with the rise of the digitalization of urban spaces and surrealistic architecture resembling dreamscapes, what will be the effects on the new age architects when they can build in a world where everything is possible?

This article will be an introduction to the concept of

The term "Metaverse" refers to a VW in which

virtual reality. It will make an attempt to put a

people can interact with one another online. It is a

difficult concept into words by exploring different

network of virtual 3D environments where users

perspectives on the Metaverse (Meta, previously

may do various tasks using an avatar, or digital

Facebook) in its manifestation to a VW. The

doppelgänger. Contrary to popular belief, the phrase

fundamental question revolves around the benefits

was first used in a science fiction novel in 1992. Last

and concerns of architecture in a virtual reality from

year, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg revived the

a philosophical perspective.

concept by renaming Facebook into Meta and investing billions in the creation of a metaverse.

According to architect Nicholas Negroponte VW's

Although, for the time being, this is largely

are in broad sense still assigned as fiction, however,

speculative. Small metaverses such as Fortnite,

we should get familiar with the fact that it may

Roblox, Minecraft, The Sandbox, and Horizon

already be a part of the present.1 Speaking from

Workrooms exist, but they are not yet linked into a

personal experience, the idea of using a VW as a

larger virtual environment. The superpower and

means in our daily life seems very distant, and in

attractive features of the metaverse relies on the

some ways, surrealistic. Nevertheless, Meta claims it

following: in theory, everything is virtually possible.

to be an excellent tool for the future, and humanity is bound to utilize it in some way or another. If you, like me, love the feel of pen and paper and occasionally feel disconnected due to the vast amount of technology in today's society (or disconnect on purpose), then let's take a look into the advantages of a VW as a tool with a healthy dose of skepticism.

TAG-3 by Bryan Ye through VR glasses. > < Axonometric projection, hyper perspective and render.

25

The position of the Metaverse

transferring the mind to a virtual environment while

With a background in philosophy, I view the concept

the body remains in the physical world, we basically

of a VW to be problematic. To eliminate the

gain access to exist in both the physical and virtual

untouchable element of the VW paradigm, we must

world at the same time. This lends support to the

navigate its placement in reference to the physical

idea of virtual reality not being isolated from, but

world.We can debate if the objects in the VW are

rather existing alongside, physical reality. In terms

merely counterparts of substantial creatures, or if

of architecture, should virtual environment be an

they define themselves as entities as is. Begin by

identical duplicate of the real world? or may it be an

asking, 'Where is the virtual world?'.

opportunity to create something new?

We briefly touch on the philosophical theory of

However, treating virtual reality as a space raises the

Metaphysics in our analysis of computer-generated

following concern by Magermans: ‘’When virtual

objects, where we define reality and address the

reality started, the tendency was to imitate and

question, "What is our position in the universe?".

simulate the ‘’real’’ in the ‘’virtual’’ space. I very much

Concerning the Metaverse, I want to start a thought

believe that soon the tendency will be to try to imitate

experiment in which we consider the following

and simulate (actualize) the ‘’virtual’’ in the ‘’real’’

question: "What is our place in the universe when

space.’’. Will our existence in the physical world be

the Metaverse exists alongside our world?". It is

satisfied within the constraints of reality if our

essential to study the Metaverse's position, whether

imagination has access to such complex and

we are talking about a new world within our world, a

spectacular virtual reality forms and spaces?

new world next to our world, or a new world apart from our world. In the next section, I used both early

''It is essential to study the Metaverse's position,

(Magermans, 2004) and recent (Moneta, 2020)

whether we are talking about a new world within

literature to study this subject as a notion that has

our world, a new world next to our world, or a

circulated over time (and surprisingly shares the 26

new world apart from our world. ''

same principles).

A tool versus a space

The role of the architect

Magermans raises a fundamental challenge in how

This concern also arises in more recent literature.

we should address virtual reality. In the first case, it

Andrea Moneta states in her academic research on

could be viewed as a tool that allows us to

the Metaverse the following: ‘’Designing architecture

experiment in an infinite setting. In architecture, for

on the Metaverse is a challenging task even for

example, it solves the difficulty of visualizing a

experienced architects, let alone for those who do not

notion into a three-dimensional representation for

have their cultural and technical background. Freed

the client. There is an indisputable power in seeing a

from spatial, economic and technical limitations,

space before it is completed to identify architectural

without a natural environment and an anthropic

errors, validate theories, and serve as an effective

history, designers of architectures could be easily lost

means of transmitting the architect's ideas. Yet, in

in the digital magic domain where everything is

the first case, we consider virtual reality to be a

possible and potentially huge.’’ In addition she also

fictitious world in comparison to the physical world.

claims the VW is not isolated from the RW anymore

There are no big operations that have a direct

and we need to extend the role of the architect into

impact on our reality.

the VW. Having said that, a following problem arises

The second case implies virtual reality as a space.

when we consider architects are trained to analyze

When considering virtual reality as a space, we must

and understand the environment in which they

believe that telepresence is only conceivable when

design, including its history and natural

the body and mind are separated;

environment, all of which doesn’t exist in the VW.

Avatar in Monaverse. Design by Byran Ye. Retrieved from monaverse.com >

Losing touch with reality

In conclusion, I feel the perspectives presented

I'd like to address one final point raised in both

above provide us with a glimpse of what thoughts

Magermans and Moneta's articles: a critique of

revolve around the concept of a virtual world.

control and virtuality technology. Magermans cites

However, the amount of literature, perspectives, and

architect and philosopher Paul Virilio, who claims

ideas available is immense, and I personally believe I

that "after the seduction of simulation comes the

fell short of providing a thorough introduction to

disappointment of substitution," i.e. preferring a

the philosophy of architecture in a virtual reality. In

virtual being over a real being is problematic.2

brief, the concept is too vast to grasp in a single

Additionally, Moneta quotes a prediction made by

article, so I would like to invite you to start thinking

philosopher Guy Debord , stating that ‘’Our society is

about the potentials and concerns around this topic.

replacing authentic social life with its representation.

Being the built environment an aspect of social life,

To give you a headstart, think about the following:

we need to acknowledge that VW’s are becoming a

Do you agree that architecture in a virtual

wider expression of our personal and collective space,

environment will be the solution to many problems

an interactive spatial dimension where, in the very

as well as a fantastic tool for design? Or are you

same moment we shape its shape, it shapes us.’’.3 Both

convinced that if we get too hasty with the

citations indicate concerns about losing a sense of

overwhelming freedom of the virtual world, we

reality and eroding our authenticity as a result of

would forever live under a false pretense of reality?

digitalization. Should we be worried?

1. In his best-selling book from 1995, Beyond Digital, Nicholas Negroponte claims that we live in a post-digital

Negroponte, Nicholas. 1995. Being Digital. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

society.

Magermans, Audra. 2004. Architecture and Cyberspace.

2. Open Sky is a passionate and quite radical critique of

Moneta, Andrea. 2020. Architecture, Heritage and

information technology and global media by architect

Metaverse: new approaches and methods for the

and philosopher Paul Virilio.

digital built environment. California: International

3. The Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord is a

Association for the Study of Traditional Environments

critique of contemporary consumer culture and

(IASTE)

commodity fetishism, dealing with issues such as class

Virilio, Paul. 1997. Open Sky. London: Verso Books.

alienation, cultural homogenization and mass media.

Debord, Guy. 1967. La Société du Spectacle. France: Buchet-Chastel.

27

From the editors

A DREAM ABOUT ACTION Words and Images Emilie Stecher

The more we know what kind of future we aspire the more we can shape our actions. A short overview on the different positions in the Anthropocene.

28

This summer has been marked by natural disasters.

Stop. Let’s breathe and take a step back. Let us

Rivers and lakes have been turning dry in the middle

imagine we live in a continuum of time. We cannot

of Europe, disrupting trade, limiting drinking water

go backwards. This circular notion of time is

and withering agricultural land. Once again we have

creating a place that is shaped by actions and

seen the consequences of climate change. By now it

reactions. Every action one takes has a smaller or

may seem redundant pointing out it is our own

bigger influence on a certain place and time in the

doing that brought about this changing condition.

future. Each of them are constantly altering the

But sadly, there are still a lot of people who won’t

world we are living in and the one of future

believe or keep themselves oblivious about their

generations – either consciously or unconsciously.

impact on the Earth. Continuing life as usual,

Evolving out of this is a complex system of

bathing in their privileges and eating on the wealth

interdependencies.

colonolialization brought, and still is, bringing about to “protect the eternal present”. But just because the

Taking this into consideration one could argue that

impacts are not visible right here doesn’t mean they

each single action is important for the development

are not happening.

of the future. Therefore I want to argue that it is especially important that we get aware of the agency

Take for example consumer choices – buying a

our actions have. If we simplify it one could say that

cheap shirt in H&M directly impacts the life of

our actions are guided by two things. By the past –

workers in China or Bangladesh and the health of

the experiences one has had, the culture and

nature in the surroundings of the factories. On a

knowledge one absorbed – making up the stories of

planet with limited resources it feels obvious that at

one's life until that point. These stories make

one point this lifestyle and worldview of denialism

everyone react in a certain way. It is maybe

will hit the disaster wall. But where else is there to

something more passive, intuitive. Something that

go to and how do we get there?

has been learned and internalized over a long period of time. And then there are dreams. They shape

Well, let's find a solution for it! After all, “the best is

long-term goals. They help to keep being motivated,

always yet to come” and through engineering we can

to continue going forward and they give purpose

solve the problems we encounter. No? Let me prove

beyond pure existence. While pursuing dreams,

it: fossils turn into hydro, linear into circular and

active actions towards them are taken which may

pollinators into flying machine-bees. Freshwater we

support their turning into reality. Let’s assume

extract from the oceans and carbon we store in the

therefore, that dreams are mostly guided by

North-Sea! And if, because of unknown side effects,

intentions. And therefore they can be stirred by a

all goes wrong – let’s colonize Mars!

bigger picture, by a vision.

A pointless species/ impotent to change the Earth system

Posthumanism “we’re all brothers and sisters of tomorrow”

Denialism “protect the eternal present”

Powerful Earth

Passive Earth

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Ecomodernism “the best is always yet to come”

Anthropocentrism 2.0 “the worst might still be avoided”

Powerful humankind/ changing the Earth system Different positions in the Anthropocene – The Age of Humankind. Adapted from the unpublished manuscript of Mobilis in Mobile by Dutch Lanscape Architect Dirk Sijmons (2021)3

A little bit more than a year ago I took part in the

as a pointless species, impotent of changing the

Dirty Old Town workshop by the Independent

world's systems to a potent and powerful

School for the City1. Together with landscape

humankind and a horizontal axis going from a

architect Dirk Sijmons and exhibition designer

passive earth to a powerful earth which is reacting.

Herman Kossmann we tried to find our position in

An interesting side note – around 90% of all

the Anthropocene. To help us navigate through it,

environmental discourse takes place on the left side

Sijmons introduced us to four main positions

of the quadrant seeing the Earth as passive. With

towards the Age of Mankind, inspired by the theory

75% building upon engineering. Those two views are

of Clieve Hamilton2 (2017), an Australian philosopher

also the ones described previously at the beginning

and science writer. The four positions evolve around

of the article. Whereas the left side is based on

two main axes, the vertical one going from humans

economic growth and deeply embedded into the

values of neo-liberal capitalism, the right side seeks

where the reason we do things is not based on

to understand natural processes and give voice to

economic growth but on the wealth and diversity of

nonhumans. The main question dividing the two

the ecosystems surrounding us, constantly growing,

sides is: Who are we doing this for?

constantly changing, and constantly becoming more complex.

Let us look a bit more into the right side of the

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scheme: If we are not the only living beings on this

In the light of today's climate emergency, with all

planet, why do we act as if we are? Who gives us

the challenges right in front of us, it may seem far

humans the right to exploit the planet, ravage its

away, like a dreamscape in the distance. Unable to

resources, contaminate its rivers, kill and extinct its

reach. But like argued before, time is relentless and

inhabitants and still talk of ourselves as being a

each action can help shape the desired future. By

higher being? We should maybe start seeing humans

being aware of the position we take and its

as equal to all other forms of living beings and stop

consequences, we can take actions that will have

pretending to be any better. Focusing on

consequences at a certain point and place in the

individuality has diverted us from our actual being.

future – even though we might not know exactly

Only once you see that “we’re all brothers and sisters

when. Furthermore, it can enrich the design process

of tomorrow” can we thrive in balance. And the

by actively guiding and letting it be informed by

divide that has been created between nature and

values of a certain worldview, working like an anchor

culture can be closed for there exists neither one of

to hold on to. In disagreement with others, it will

them without the other. We have to ground

help to be true to oneself since there is a bigger

ourselves on Earth. And go from a human

reason for it. Let’s start to dare things, to think

perspective to a post-human or more-than-human

outside the box, and open up our imagination for a

future. Many questions arise from this view for

shared future between humans and nonhumans

example how can we give voice to and design for

alike.

nonhumans? Or how can we effectively protect the ecosystems that support life on Earth?

1. The Independent School for the City is a post

Going one step further we may be able to see our

graduation laboratory on contemporary Urbanism in

agency in this world. If we don’t see humans only as

Rotterdam – if you don’t know it, here comes a big

equal to non-humans but also as the ones who have

recommendation to check out their program – they also

the ability and obligation to take responsibility for

have lectures and evening workshops!

their actions, we may find a new aspiration. A place

2. Hamilton, C. (2017) Defiant Earth, the Fate of Humans

where we can restore what has been damaged. An attitude through which “the worst might still be

in the Anthropocene. Polity Press, Cambridge 3. Sijmons, D. (2021). Waking up in the Anthropocene.

avoided”. In this dream I see the many places where I

Unpublished manuscript. Independent School for the

can build backwards, where I can set free

City, Rotterdam.

ecosystems. Places where I can learn from nature, its processes and try to help them thrive. Use my abilities to take care of the planet and its inhabitants. Listen to the ones we forgot to listen to and empower the ones we do not see anymore. It is a place where we take care of eachother, where there are commons we protect and foster, and

What are you reading right now?

AN ATTEMPT AT EXHAUSTING A PLACE IN PARIS Words John Hanna, Images Amélie Dupont & Raymond Mesnildrey

Date: 19 October 1974. Time: 2:00 PM. Location: Tabac Saint-Sulpice.

A man goes by, wearing a surgical collar A woman goes by; she is eating a slice of tart A couple approaches their Autobianchi Abarth parked along the sidewalk.

The woman bites into a tartlet.

There are lots of children.

It is October 1974. Georges Perec (1936-1982) spends three days around Place SaintSulpice at the centre of the 6th arrondissement of Paris. Sometimes he sits in cafés, or on a bench right in the sun. Other times, he stands by the tabac shop. An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris records Perec’s extensive observations of the very ordinary objects, words, colours, movements and flows around the square.

This is not a book that features a standard plot-line.

There is no rising action, climax, or falling action. It is merely an inventory of consecutive moments, where the protagonists are the observers and the observed.

Perec, like many members of Oulipo*, likes to experiment with his writing. In this book, his experimental technique effortlessly captures the richness of everyday urban life.

* Oulipo was a group of writers and mathematicians founded in 1960 by Raymond Quenau and François Le Lionnais which focused on experimental writing forms.

In this edition John Hanna, who is a PhD candidate at the Chair History of Architecture and Urban Planning, recommends George Perec's An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris.

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LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! The Bnieuws team is always curious to hear from our readers, so please let us know what you think! Send your thoughts, reactions or questions to our email: bnieuws-BK@tudelft.nl.

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NEXT ISSUE: DIGEST Whether they are buildings, objects or fashion, designs can give us tingling sensations. Yet, some are rather hard to swallow, leaving us with a bit of an ugly aftertaste.

In the next edition, we will indulge ourselves in a discussion about the future of food in design, and designing with food! Can we make our designs edible? How do we create and engage with spaces where we eat? While we understand how our body functions when it comes to digesting food, how can we interpret our mind when it comes to digesting design? See you next month, and bon appetite!

Bnieuws 56/02 due November 2022.

Bnieuws INDEPENDENT PERIODICAL OF THE FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT TU DELFT VOLUME 56 ISSUE 01